Physiologic Veterans

Combat veterans are among the highest at risk for issues in transitioning form military life to civilian. Many potentially suffer from both physical and/or mental traumas. Many veterans and even active duty services members have allowed the unofficial culture of if you need mental or medical help you are weak. Many military families are also afraid of utilizing family support mechanisms out of fear of

Today, hundreds of thousands of service men and women and recent military veterans have seen combat. Many have been shot at, seen their buddies killed, or witnessed death up close. These are types of events that can lead to Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder ("Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD: A Growing Epidemic. “) Anyone that has gone through a traumatic event can be diagnosed with PTSD but research shows, military men and women are more susceptible to having PTSD (PTSD: A Growing Epidemic.) And, with little help from the US, many Veterans do not get the help they need or get treated for PTSD. Military men and women begin to

Veterans make up seven percent of the American population, but they account for twenty percent of its suicides. Yes, that is indeed a real statistic, more importantly, what is the government, the people that ordered those men and women deliberately into harm’s way, doing about this tragedy. In light of recent conflicts the United States has been engaging in, such as the conflicts in the Middle East, a new silent killer of returning veterans, has become more visible to the public. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, has taken its toll recently on Veterans returning from the harsh

There is a common belief that many combat veterans are suffering; many from invisible wounds that affect them in many ways. The challenge that the VA and other government agencies face is determining which veterans need help, there are several factors that affect this, from the individual’s desire to accept help, to the stigma that most veterans have accepted, which is “if they ask for help, they are weak.” During separation from the military it is a critical time for all soldiers, this time provides an opportunity for the military, the VA and our government to intercede and work with men and women while they are still soldiers. Veteran suicide is an epidemic, the number of veterans taking their life daily has been steadily growing, the statistic published by the VA is that twenty-two veterans end their lives every day (Suicide Data Report, 2012); steps have been taken to curb this number but the efforts have been woefully inadequate.

Rates of trauma and mental illness are reported to be disproportionately higher among American veterans, especially those of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The barriers to care after civilian reentry further disadvantage this already vulnerable population. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been the longest sustained US military operations since the Vietnam era, sending more than 2.2 million troops into battle and resulting in more than 6,600 deaths and 48,000 injuries. Veterans are at risk mental health challenges, as well as family instability, elevated rates of homelessness, and joblessness. Veterans have disproportionate rates of mental illness, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse disorders, depression, anxiety, and military sexual trauma.

Today I am here to talk to you all about a problem that is sweeping the nation. In 2012, 8.3% of veterans that are women compared to 6.9% of male veterans were unemployed. Most veterans miss out on going to college and getting proper education for getting jobs. The Veterans Health Administration did a poll and the poll showed that one in five female veterans had Military Sexual Trauma. Many women in the survey did not want to say that they have been abused. Women have gotten raped or had attempted rape while serving in the military. There is a girl named Sarah and she told her story about the time she almost got raped by a military guy. Sarah had said that she was having an alcoholic beverage because she was finding out if she got into a really

In studying the effects of Post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans, I learned that the actions of war cause many service men and women to change. The change comes because the US military trains people to kill but they don’t want to help them fit back into society. This causes veterans to have symptoms such aggression, irritability, and hostility. Which is why I feel that people who have killed in the military came in with the mentality that they were going to help people, but instead they go overseas to kill and ruin innocent people’s lives. That causes them to have feelings of guilt because people are told to look at our service men and women as heroes but inside they see themselves as monsters. There are cases of this happening in every

S: Veteran stated, "My head does not feel right, it is just something going on.

Other people—spouses, children, family members, friends, or co-workers—often are more aware of the veteran's emotional distress than he is himself.(Scurfeild, 1993)

The U.S. military produces some of the bravest most heroic men and women on earth. From the moment the oath of enlistment is made to the time of separation or retirement, these courageous souls endure a number of amazing, historic and sometimes unbelievable events. They are praise for their service and lift even higher for their sacrifice, although most are unaware of the true sacrifices are made by some of these men and women. The most visible sacrifices or “outer sacrifices” are loss of life or loss of limbs while the inner wounds are bouts with depression, sexual assault, divorce, and most common alcohol other drug abuse.

There are now many programs available to facilitate veterans who have been injured or are suffering from post traumatic stress. In the past, men would return home from wars as shells of their former selves. Loud sounds could trigger painful memories of combat and send the sufferer into a spiral of panic. Some were extremely sensitive to such things as loud noises, bright lights, certain phrases, or some daily activities. Others still were just empty husks, only living in a numb depression due to the things they have witnessed or done. There was nothing to be done with these people except force them to continue living as they had been or putting them in asylums. Now, though many men and women are still returning home injured, either mentally

In the past, veterans who disclosed suffering from signs of PTSD encountered a great deal of ignorance and bias. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (n.d.), veterans who had the illness were often considered weak, were rejected by comrades, and even faced discharge from military service. In fact, even physicians and mental health specialists often questioned the existence of the disease, which of course led to society’s misconception of PTSD in general. Sadly because of this existing prejudice it appears even today soldiers are still worried to admit having PTSD symptoms, and therefore they do not receive the proper support they need. While individuals are assured that their careers will not be affected, and seeking help is encouraged, most soldiers see it as a failure to admit having a mental health illness (Zoroya, 2013). Educating military personal of this illness, and making sure no blame is put on the veterans who encounter this disease is therefore vital.

I have always been attracted to sports that need a particular dedication and mentality to succeed, such as mixed martial arts (MMA) and wrestling. These sports are physically and mentally exhausting. In order to triumph, one must have an unwavering commitment, a dedicated mindset that trumps all self-doubt and fears in the face of difficulty. This attitude and sense of adhering to goals in challenging environments will surely benefit my efforts towards becoming and being a military physician. Moreover, these personality traits will enable me to better relate to the like-minded patients, service men and women, I will be treating as a military physician. This distinction is important. Possessing the ability to relate and understand the patients

T. Stecker, J. Fortney, F. Hamilton, and I. Ajzen, 2007, address that mental health symptoms have the likelihood to increase within post deployment for military veterans, especially for the ones who have seen combat. An estimated quarter of recent war veterans who are currently receiving care in the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Health Care System have reported mental health problems. Soldiers who have served in Iraq come home suffering from depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Statistics of Iraq soldiers meeting the criteria for depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is greater than the soldiers who served in Afghanistan. The mental health symptom rates for soldiers who served in Iraq were as high as 20% for PTSD, 18% for anxiety, and 15% for depression.

A service member’s emotional and psychological issues are not like malfunctions of a piece of equipment and must not be treated as a troubleshooting problem in a technical manual. And yet this seems to be the only way the military, as a whole, knows how to address the issue of a service members mental health. It requires a holistic approach that is not currently embraced by the military. Historically, the military has been ill-equipped to handle the shifting nature of the psychological issues created by introducing a service member to the battlefield.